Some mobile-home manufacturers still use jalousie windows because they’re attractive and functional. The louvered nature of partially open jalousies allows ventilation even when it’s raining.
Occasionally you’ll need to lubricate the lever and movable hardware, maybe twice a year. Using a conventional oil can rather than the newer aerosol lubricants will eliminate some extra cleaning.
When lubricating the jalousie mechanism no longer keeps the window operating, remove the glass slats. Unscrew the old jalousie hardware. Measure the frame. Replace the old assembly with a new one of the same size, but use your old slats.
To replace broken slats, take out the remaining glass with gloved Measure an unbroken slat to find the correct size—or measure the space from one clip to the other, plus the clip widths. Slide new glass slat into the clips.
The problem of sticky doors and windows often develops when mobile homes have settled unevenly. Before you try repairs, verify both longitudinal and lateral leveling of your home with a carpenter’s level (page 20). Make any necessary adjustments in the blocking.
Inspect the doors again. Leveling may have corrected some of the problems or it may have created new ones. Open and close all the doors several times. For those which do not close easily, hunt for the cause of the sticking. First try lubricating the hinges; an aerosol will do, with silicone lubricant.
Then look for bent hinges. You can either remove them and try to hammer them straight, or use the old hinge as a template to help you buy new ones.
Stress on the hinges may have stripped the wood that holds the screws. Fill the holes with small pieces of wood such as kitchen matches. Better yet, fill the holes with wood putty. Then reseat the hinge screws.
If you find no fault with hinges, inspect the door itself. You may be able to cure rubs at the top of the door by prying downward with a piece of wood, a hammer, or a broom handle. This warps the hinges, but sometimes that saves a lot of time in sanding. You can use a similar ploy to fix some cases of faulty alignment. Slide something firm but soft (like a man’s wallet) between door and frame near the top or bottom hinge. Try to close the door. Don’t force it shut completely, only enough to spring the hinge. To close a gap on the hinge side of the door, tap the open edge with a hammer.
Beyond these quick-repair hints, the job becomes a carpenter’s problem. With metal doors, rehanging a misaligned door involves shimming up under the hinges. Again, you’d probably do well to hire an expert rather than trying to do this yourself. If you leave the fault go, however, it only grows worse and eventually may ruin the door frame.
A spray or squirt of graphite into the keyhole solves most sticky lock difficulties. Buy the lubricant in dust or liquid aerosol form.
an emergency, shave a little graphite dust from a pencil lead with a pocket knife or emery board. Work the shavings into the keyway. Then slide the key in and out of the lock several times. Scrape more lead dust if necessary. But whatever you do, don’t use ordinary oil in a keyhole. It will only gum up the lock.
When locks need changing, you can do it. Residential locks come in three main pieces—one knob, one knob with a shaft, and a latch assembly. But before you can replace your particular lock, you need to know what kind it is.
Work with an open door and a screwdriver. Take out the two screw-head bolts in the doorknob flange and disassemble the old lock. Remove any other screws that hold the latch assembly and pull the latch out. To find the size of lock to ask for, measure from the edge of the door to the center of the lock hole. Write this measurement down. Latch configurations differ also. Therefore, to be absolutely sure of buying a usable replacement, take the old lock with you.
Insert the new latch assembly first. Next slide the outside knob into the latch. Rotate it to position the keyhole the way you want it. The exterior knob flange should fit flush to the door. When you have the first knob engaged, slide the interior knob into position. Let the flange holes line up with the bolt mounts. The knobs should now work the latch, if you have the assembly installed correctly. If not, disassemble it and begin again.
As the final step, secure the flange bolts (they have slotted heads and look like screws once they’re installed).
The modern use of plastic and aluminum materials for window screens has eliminated rusty screen wire. However, screen damage still occurs—most frequently when someone gets locked out.
Place the damaged screen on a flat work surface. In a groove around the screen frame you’ll find a rubberlike spline that holds the screen wire in. Pull the spline out and inspect it. If it has weakened or deteriorated, buy a new length when you purchase the screen wire. Peel out the wire mesh. Measure the opening in the frame and add ½-inch to each dimension. That’lI get you the correct size of replacement screen.
Snip the new screen to size (if it’s not already) with a pair of household shears. Cut the screen parallel with the wire in the mesh, to assure a straight line. Clean the screen frame with a mild detergent and water, and dry it before you start attaching the new screen.
Insert the screen along the longest side of the frame first. Square the screen with the frame. Push the ¼-inch edge allowance into the frame groove with a small screwdriver. Once it’s started, clamp the screen mesh by inserting the splirie into the groove, on top of the screen.
Continue all around the frame. The final side is the most difficult to secure, because you must stretch it taut. But it’s not too difficult if you got the short sides clamped in smooth. Trim off any excess screen and spline with the scissors. You’re ready to rehang the screen.
Since the law did not require written disclosure of cap costs or interest rates, Ford Motor Credit did not provide
it. This allowed its dealers to use (and get away with) deceptive sales practices, such as quoting lower prices and interest rates than people actually received. And it allowed dealers to overcharge their customers.
Even after witnessing numerous acts of blatant overcharging (from dealer worksheets), Ford did not provide disclosure of cap costs until July of 1995, following an investigation in Florida. At the time of publication, the company was still not providing written disclosure of interest rates to its lease customers.
In October of 1996, the attorneys general from 14 states filed lawsuits against Mazda Motor Corp. of America, charging the company with running lease ads that were misleading and deceptive. According to the California attorney general, the company’s ads were misleading the public into thinking that they could lease a car with no money down, when they could not.
The ads in question claimed that people could lease a new Mazda for “zero down” or “one penny down,” but customers were required to pay up-front money for acquisition fees, a refundable security deposit, the first month’s payment, taxes, and license fees. The total up-front fees were usually in excess of $850.
According to the lawsuits, disclaimers for Mazda’s television ads appeared at the bottom of the screen in tiny type, using uncommon abbreviations, and were only on the screen for a very short period of time, making it impossible for consumers to read and understand them.
The attorneys general also said that Mazda’s internal documents showed that those types of ads were aimed at attracting consumers who would normally be hesitant about “out-of-pocket” spending.
In December, Mazda settled the charges by agreeing to change its advertising practices. The company also agreed to pay $857,500 for costs of the investigation.